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While today’s billionaires are breaking records none have ever compared to the unimaginable wealth of Mansa Musa a 14th-century king of the Mali Empire. He is known by most historians as “the richest man of all time” whose wealth would be about $500 billion (₹43.7 trillion) when calculated to current value. The only reason his wealth can even be estimated is that it was so vast and widespread that most historians believe there were no means of calculating it accurately. This makes him a financial imperishable legend one that we won’t come close to in the modern-day world of billionaires. Mansa Musa ruled the Mali Empire between the years 1312 and 1337 CE. Under his reign the Mali Empire attained perhaps its greatest fortune becoming one of the wealthiest times and places in Africa. His wealth came in large part from the abundant gold and salt mines Mali possessed at this time. Mali was one of the worlds primary sources gold at the time. As of that time Mansa Musa also derived riches through the trade of ivory slaves and any other valuable item he could sell; he built his empire to be one of the powers of Medieval world economy. Mansa Musa’s enormous wealth was not the only reason for his legendary status—it was how he expressed that wealth that excited the world. In 1324 he undertook a famous pilgrimage to Mecca that would become a significant historical moment. From the accounts of him in the pamphlets that came to be written Mansa Musa embarked on his pilgrimage with thousands of people of his royal entourage—people such as servants soldiers and in addition he brought with him dozens of camels each laden with gold of about 136 kg. As he passed through cities like Cairo he gave away enough gold as a donation to cause inflation in the cities and disrupted the economy for years. Mansa Musas fame quickly spread especially to the courts of kingdoms in Europe and Asia. Kings and emperors all over the world were eager to be in his good graces and wanted have an opportunity to receive a share of his wealth and massive generosity. Indeed even after he died in 1337 stories would echo their way across continents of Mansa Musa as the one of the richest men in the world.